Jordan 🌤️ 27°C · Now
★ Best Time Now Amman
Jordan
Amman at a glance
$59+
Budget tier · excl. flights
From major hubs
AMM (Queen Alia)
Visa-free 90 days
For most Western passports
USD
Local currency
Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov
Now is ideal!
Arid Mediterranean (mild winters + dry summers)
Now 🌤️ 27°C
19:58
EET (UTC+2/+3)
Arabic; English universal in tourism
Why visit Amman?
Amman is Jordan's capital — population 4 million on 19 rolling hills (originally 7, hence 'City of 7 Hills' nickname). Founded as **Rabbath-Ammon** by Ammonites in BC 13th century, later Hellenistic **Philadelphia** under Ptolemies, then Roman + Byzantine + Umayyad + Ottoman. Modern Amman built rapidly after 1921 founding of Emirate of Transjordan. Today it serves as the **Middle East's safest tourist capital** + gateway to **Petra (3h south), Dead Sea (1h west), Wadi Rum (4h south), Jerash (1h north)**.
Famous for **Citadel Hill (Jabal al-Qal'a)** (1,000m hilltop fortress + Roman + Byzantine + Umayyad ruins + Temple of Hercules columns + Umayyad Palace + Jordan Archaeological Museum + sunset Amman panorama view + JOD 3), **Roman Theatre** (AD 2nd century 6,000-seat amphitheater + Folklore Museum + Popular Tradition Museum + JOD 2), **Rainbow Street (Jabal Amman)** (boutique cafés + craft shops + Books@Cafe + Sufra Restaurant + Jordan River Foundation handicrafts), **King Abdullah I Mosque** (1989 + 7,000 worshippers + iconic blue mosaic dome + JOD 2 + dress code required), **Royal Automobile Museum** (King Hussein's classic car collection + JOD 3), and **Souk Jara** (Friday summer flea market + handicrafts + cafés). Wadi Rum jeep + camel + Bedouin camp $80-150. Petra Jordan Pass $90 includes 1-3 day Petra + multi-site discounts. Iconic Jordanian food: **Mansaf** (national dish — lamb + jameed yogurt sauce + rice + pine nuts + flatbread, eaten with right hand at weddings + celebrations, $15-25 at Sufra), **Maqluba** (upside-down rice + meat + vegetables, $10-15), **Mezze** (hummus + falafel + tabbouleh + baba ghanoush + mansaf + $20-40), **Shawarma** (street wraps $2-4), **Knafeh** (sweet cheese pastry + syrup, Habibah Sweets is iconic since 1956, $3-5). Drinks: **Arabic coffee** (cardamom + small cups, $1-3), **mint tea**, **Pomegranate juice**. Amman is conservative — dress modestly + alcohol limited to hotel bars + licensed restaurants.
**Best Amman restaurants**: **Sufra** (Rainbow Street + traditional Jordanian + Mansaf $20-35), **Hashem Restaurant** (1956 + iconic falafel + hummus + downtown $3-8 — Royal family visits), **Beit Sitti** (Beit Sitti cooking class + family meal experience $40-60), **Al Quds Restaurant** (downtown + traditional $10-25), **Romero** (rooftop + 1956 historic + JOD 30-60).
Bottom line: Amman is the **practical Middle East travel hub** + safest Arab capital + Petra/Dead Sea/Wadi Rum gateway. 2 days hits Citadel + Roman Theatre + Jerash day trip; add **Petra 2 nights + Dead Sea 1 night + Wadi Rum 1 night** = 7-day Jordan classic.
Things to do in Amman
Highlights
Citadel Hill (Jabal al-Qal'a) + sunset
1,000m hilltop fortress + Temple of Hercules + Umayyad Palace + Amman panorama. JOD 3.
Roman Theatre + downtown
AD 2nd century 6,000-seat amphitheater. Folklore Museum + Popular Tradition Museum included. JOD 2.
Rainbow Street (Jabal Amman)
Boutique cafés + Books@Cafe + Sufra Restaurant + handicrafts + Friday Souk Jara market.
Travel cost
Per person, per day (excludes flights)
Hostel + local food + public transport
$59
Per person / day (excl. flights)
📅 Total cost by trip duration (incl. flights)
3 days
$200
5 days
$320
7 days
$440
Flight estimate: $700-1,800 ICN-AMM via Doha/Istanbul; $500-1,400 from Europe direct (round-trip estimate)
Monthly weather
Currently in Amman: 🌤️ 27°C
Amman now (May)
High 28°C / Low 16°C· Hot★ Best Time
Jan 🌥️
High 12°C / Low 4°C
Cool
Feb 🌥️
High 14°C / Low 5°C
Cool
Mar ⛅
High 18°C / Low 8°C
Mild
★ Best time to visit
Apr 🌤️
High 23°C / Low 12°C
Pleasant
★ Best time to visit
May ☀️
High 28°C / Low 16°C
Hot
★ Best time to visit
Jun 🔥
High 32°C / Low 20°C
Very Hot
Jul 🔥
High 35°C / Low 23°C
Very Hot
Aug 🔥
High 35°C / Low 23°C
Very Hot
Sep 🔥
High 31°C / Low 20°C
Hot
★ Best time to visit
Oct ☀️
High 25°C / Low 16°C
Pleasant
★ Best time to visit
Nov ⛅
High 19°C / Low 11°C
Mild
★ Best time to visit
Dec 🌥️
High 14°C / Low 6°C
Cool
Jan
🌥️
12°
4°
Cool
Feb
🌥️
14°
5°
Cool
Mar
⛅
18°
8°
Mild
★Best
Apr
🌤️
23°
12°
Pleasant
★Best
May
☀️
28°
16°
Hot
★Best
Jun
🔥
32°
20°
Very Hot
Jul
🔥
35°
23°
Very Hot
Aug
🔥
35°
23°
Very Hot
Sep
🔥
31°
20°
Hot
★Best
Oct
☀️
25°
16°
Pleasant
★Best
Nov
⛅
19°
11°
Mild
★Best
Dec
🌥️
14°
6°
Cool
Practical information
Getting there
Getting around
Money & payments
Language
Cultural tips
Money & payment
Currency
JOD Jordanian Dinar — pegged to USD ($1.41).
Card acceptance
Cards widely accepted at hotels + mid-range restaurants. Souks + taxis cash.
Tipping
10% in restaurants. JOD 1-2 for hotel staff.
ATM
Common in Amman; rare outside. Use Arab Bank, HSBC, Citibank for lower fees.
Recommended itinerary
Amman 2-day route
Day 1 Old Amman & Roman ruins
09:00
Amman Citadel
The summit of one of the seven hills, inhabited since BC 3000. Roman Temple of Hercules (2nd c.), Umayyad Palace (8th c.), archaeology museum. Entry JOD 3. Best visited in the cool morning.
10:30
Roman Theatre
Built under Antoninus Pius in the 2nd century to seat 6,000, still used for performances. Climb to the top row for a panorama of Amman. Entry JOD 3 (combined ticket with the Citadel available).
🎫 19% off — Book lowest price12:00
Lunch: downtown hummus & falafel
Hashem Restaurant — Amman's most famous falafel spot, 50 years running, beside Al-Husseini Mosque. Falafel + hummus + ful for JOD 1-2. Cash only.
14:00
Rainbow Street café tour
Wild Jordan Café (run by the nature conservation foundation, with the best city views). Arabic coffee or an apple shisha.
16:00
Jabal Al-Weibdeh gallery district
Amman's arts street — small galleries, murals and design shops. Easily covered in 30 minutes on foot.
19:00
Dinner: mansaf
Jordan's national dish, mansaf (lamb, rice, jameed sauce). Sufra Restaurant or a local mansaf specialist. JOD 12-20 per person.
Day 2 Dead Sea or Petra day trip (pick one)
07:00
Option A: Dead Sea day trip
1h from Amman. The lowest point on earth at 430m below sea level — natural floating from the salt density. Sweimeh public beach JOD 12-20 (towel + parasol included), free Dead Sea mud.
🎫 12% off — Book lowest price07:00
Option B: Petra day trip
3h by bus (from JOD 11) or tour vehicle. The pink rock-cut Nabataean city; walk the Siq to reach the Treasury (Al-Khazneh). Needs at least 4-6 hours — a 2-day Petra tour is recommended.
🎫 19% off — Book lowest price13:00
Local Bedouin lunch
Dead Sea resort buffet (from JOD 25, included or extra) or a lamb curry in a Petra village. Try fire-baked Arabic markook bread.
15:00
Jerash afternoon tour
48km north of Amman. One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities — oval plaza, colonnaded streets, Temple of Artemis. Entry JOD 10.
🎫 14% off — Book lowest price19:30
Rainbow Street dinner
Al-Quds Restaurant or Falafel Al-Quds (founded 1947). Harissa (lamb sandwich) and kibbeh, JOD 3-8.
Where to stay
Click each district to compare hotel deals
Downtown (Al-Balad)
Roman Theatre, Al-Husseini Mosque and the falafel lanes. The old commercial heart where tourism and everyday life mix.
See hotels in this area
Jabal Al-Weibdeh
Art galleries, cafés and boutiques. Amman's trendy quarter, where young artists gather.
See hotels in this area
Rainbow Street
Amman's most popular café-and-restaurant strip. Ideal for an evening out — hummus, fatteh and Arabic food.
See hotels in this area
1st Circle district
The historic embassy quarter on a low hill, with villas and cafés perfect for a stroll.
See hotels in this area
Amman hotel price comparison
Compare Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com prices in one place
* Centered on Downtown (Al-Balad) — the most hotel-dense area in Amman
Top tours & activities in Amman
Top-rated by travelers
Frequently asked questions
Most common questions from travelers to Amman
Q How much per day in Amman?
Budget $59, mid $140, luxury $380+. Jordan is mid-tier Middle East (cheaper than Dubai/Doha, pricier than Egypt). Mansaf $15-25, shawarma $2-4, Citadel JOD 3, Roman Theatre JOD 2, Petra JOD 50 (or free with Jordan Pass). Jordan Pass ($90) is unbeatable value — includes 1-3 day Petra + visa fee waived + 40+ site discounts.
Q How many days in Amman?
2 days for city core (Citadel + Roman Theatre + Rainbow Street + Jerash day trip). Add 5-7 days for Jordan classic: Amman 2 + Petra 2 + Dead Sea 1 + Wadi Rum 1-2 + Aqaba 1.
Q Best time?
March-May + September-November (15-25°C / 59-77°F, dry + comfortable). Summer (June-August) 35°C+ + dry but Dead Sea/Wadi Rum brutal. Winter (December-February) cold + rainy + some snow in Amman.
Q Visa?
Visa-on-arrival JOD 40 ($56) OR free with Jordan Pass ($90 — includes Petra + multi-site discounts, must buy online before flight + 3+ night stay).
Q Safety?
Among Middle East's safest capitals. Walking safe day + night. Tourist scams minimal. Embassies in Amman + good emergency services. 911 emergency. Women solo travelers feasible with conservative dress.
Q English?
Universal in tourism + hotels + restaurants. Arabic phrases (Marhaba, Shukran) appreciated. Younger Jordanians fluent.
Q Famous food + restaurants?
Mansaf (national dish, $15-25 — Sufra), Maqluba ($10-15), Mezze ($20-40), Shawarma ($2-4 streetside), Knafeh ($3-5 at iconic Habibah Sweets 1956). Restaurants: Sufra (Rainbow Street + traditional, $20-35), Hashem (1956 falafel + hummus $3-8 — Royal family visits), Beit Sitti (cooking class + family meal $40-60), Romero (rooftop + JOD 30-60).
Q Petra + Dead Sea + Wadi Rum day trips from Amman?
Petra: 3h drive south, full day from Amman ($80-150 group tour) but 2 nights stay recommended. Dead Sea: 1h west, 30% saltier than ocean, mud baths + floating, day trip from Amman ($40-80 with hotel pool access) or 1-night stay at Movenpick/Holiday Inn. Wadi Rum: 4h south (combine with Petra), jeep + camel + Bedouin camp 2 days ($150-250). Jerash: 1h north, Roman ruins + UNESCO ($30-50 group day tour).
Q Jordan Pass — worth it?
Absolutely. $90 includes 1-3 day Petra access (saves $70) + visa fee waived (saves $56) + 40+ site discounts (Wadi Rum, Jerash, Citadel etc). Buy online before flight + minimum 3-night stay required. Saves $100+ vs paying separately.
Q Hotels — which neighborhood?
Downtown Amman (Old City, around Roman Theatre + Hashem Restaurant, $30-100 — King's Boutique Hotel) is cheapest + authentic but noisy + congested. Jabal Amman/Rainbow Street ($80-300 — Toledo Amman, Caravan Hotel) is hipster + restaurants + boutique. Abdoun ($150-500 — Four Seasons, W Amman) is luxury embassy district. For luxury: Four Seasons Amman, W Amman ($300-700). For honeymoon: combine Amman 1 night + Wadi Rum bubble tent 1-2 nights ($300-600) + Dead Sea resort 1 night ($200-400).
TripPick
Data-driven travel guide
Weather and exchange rates on this page are fetched live from external APIs; cost and itinerary data are verified periodically against local sources.
Weather
Open-Meteo API
Exchange
ECB rates
Costs
Local price data
Itineraries
Traveler reviews
Book your Amman trip
Compare flights, hotels, and tours all in one place
Prices via Skyscanner, Booking.com, GetYourGuide
Go deeper into Amman
Click each topic for the dedicated guide
Similar to Amman
Same region, similar climate and budget
